Journey of the Autodialer

The technological history of the Automatic Telephone Dialing System (ATDS)—colloquially known as an “autodialer”—stretches back to 1942, when the first semi-automatic dialer hit the market. An issue of Popular Mechanics described the device: “You set a pointer at the name of the person to be called, press a lever, and the instrument does the rest. The phone is offered in two styles, one providing the automatic feature for 12 phone numbers, and the other for 52 stations.”

The technology has advanced quite a bit since the 1940s and government regulations of autodialers have followed apace. The various modern iterations of the autodialer are a central object of Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) regulation and enforcement. Of course, what kinds of technology qualify as autodialers and how the use of those technologies is regulated has been the source of a significant amount of legal and regulatory wrangling over the course of nearly 30 years.

This guide will cover the regulatory history of autodialers from the passage of the TCPA to the present by taking you through the most significant pieces of legislation, notable rulemaking by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and precedent-setting court decisions.

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